Senior Technical Advisor for UHC Advocacy and Coordinator of the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism

Overview

The Senior Technical Advisor for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Advocacy will serve as the Coordinator for the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM), a global network of civil society organizations raising civil society voices within the UHC2030 multistakeholder partnership and advocating for inclusive & equitable UHC policies that prioritize the marginalized & vulnerable, and leave no one behind. As a part of MSH’s Health Policy, Advocacy, and Engagement team, the Senior Technical Advisor for UHC Advocacy will also have the opportunity to engage across MSH’s projects to support civil society and other stakeholder engagement in advocacy and accountability efforts; contribute to UHC portfolio development, program design and implementation; and to help develop global partnerships and external communications.

Background

UHC2030 is a multi-stakeholder partnership co-hosted by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the overall aim of supporting a movement for accelerated, equitable and sustainable progress towards UHC as well as the other health targets in the SDGs, including global security and equity. The UHC2030 Steering Committee agreed to establish a Civil Society Engagement Mechanism to become the civil society arm of the UHC movement and a critical contributor to UHC2030. The CSEM seeks to strengthen an inclusive and broad civil society movement on UHC, influence policy design and implementation, strengthen citizen-led and social accountability mechanisms, and promote coordination and harmonization between civil society organization (CSO) platforms and networks working on health related issues. The CSEM is a growing global civil society movement with over 1,000 members from more than 950 organizations in over 100 countries. For more information on the work and membership of the CSEM, visit https://csemonline.net/

Management Sciences for Health has served as host of the Secretariat for the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) since 2018, and this year has welcomed a co-host organization WACI Health, an African regional advocacy organization.

The Coordinator, as a member of the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism Secretariat, is responsible for leading, coordinating and promoting the activities of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism and CSEM Secretariat Team. Working closely with the CSEM Communications Officer, based at WACI Health, and with the global CSEM Advisory Group, the Coordinator will be responsible for facilitating the overall CSEM strategy, work plan, activities, and advocacy efforts of the CSO representatives on the UHC2030 Steering Committee and of the CSEM Advisory Group. The Coordinator will represent the Secretariat in external meetings and working groups and will work to build up the international profile of the CSEM and to expand the membership of the CSEM.

The post will report to the Senior Director, Health Policy, Advocacy and Engagement who serves as Technical Focal Point for the CSEM Secretariat’s work, with a dotted line to the UHC2030 CSEM Advisory Group.

Key Performance Areas

Lead, coordinate and promote the activities of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism and CSEM Secretariat Team (50%)

• Collaborate with the CSEM Advisory Group, made up of civil society leaders on UHC advocacy from around the world, to develop the strategy, work plan, activities and advocacy priorities for the CSEM. Ensure alignment with the broader goals and activities of UHC2030.
• Participate in all UHC2030 Steering Committee meetings and teleconferences. Organize and lead facilitation of pre-meetings for the civil society delegation prior to each biannual UHC2030 Steering Committee meeting. Collaborate with civil society representatives to the Steering Committee (representing civil society from the Global North, Global South, and Community Based Organizations) and prepare talking points, presentations or other materials for use at each meeting to ensure the views of civil society are well represented in the UHC2030 Steering Committee discussions and decision-making.
• Together with the Communications Officer, provide coordination support to the Advisory Group, including for regular virtual and in-person meetings; development of advocacy messages, tools, and position papers; and collaborating with the CSEM Communications Officer on organizing side events and identifying speaking opportunities for Advisory Group members or other CSEM representatives at key global and national events/conferences (such as the World Health Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly, World Bank meetings, and others). On some occasions the CSEM Coordinator will be asked to participate in events as a speaker or facilitator/moderator representing the CSEM.
• Serve as a liaison between the CSEM, CSO representatives on the Steering Committee, the CSEM Advisory Group and the UHC2030 Core Team in Geneva and Washington, DC.

Support the implementation of targeted advocacy, communications, and mobilization efforts for UHC advocacy at global, national and sub-national levels (50%)

• Provide technical assistance to advocates working at the national level in developing ambitious and achievable advocacy and communication strategies on UHC, including through use of the CSEM UHC 101 Toolkit.
• Advocate for the participation of civil society representatives in the design, implementation and evaluation of UHC2030 and other international UHC related policies and programs.
• Inspire, encourage and motivate civil society actors to get involved in the CSEM and UHC advocacy and accountability through publishing of research and blogs, social media campaigns, and through participation in global, regional and national events.
• Enable cross-learning and knowledge exchange between the CSO constituencies of other global health initiatives (such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, GAVI, PMNCH, etc.) and coordinate CSEM engagement with other initiatives such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, the Social Participation Technical Network (SPTN) for UHC, and others.
• Provide technical assistance for MSH’s projects focused on support to civil society and other stakeholders for engagement in advocacy and accountability efforts across health issue areas.
• Contribute to development of MSH’s portfolio of UHC and primary health care focused projects and collaborate with the Health Policy, Advocacy, and Engagement team to develop global partnerships, new business opportunities and external communications.

Education

Graduate degree required

Experience

Required:

• 7 years of relevant and related experience with at least 3 years’ experience in leading advocacy efforts, providing technical assistance to civil society organizations, and/or working on global health issues.
• Fluency in English. Excellent speaking, representational, networking, advocacy and written communication skills.

Preferred:

• 4 years of progressively responsible experience and some knowledge of universal health coverage is preferred. Experience in international public health is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in other languages, especially French or Spanish, is preferred though not required.

https://msh.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/US-VA-Arlington/Senior-Technical-Advisor-for-UHC-Advocacy-and-Coordinator-of-the-UHC2030-Civil-Society-Engagement-Mechanism_R1206-1